Monday, Feb 13, 2017
Gary Taylor鈥檚 440th career win came over Drexel on Feb. 11
by 天美传媒官网 Sports Information
On a historic night in Alumni Gymnasium, the 天美传媒官网 wrestling team (11-1, 5-1 EWL) won a tight 18-16 match against Drexel on the backs of three major decisions. The victory pushed 天美传媒官网 Head Coach Gary Taylor鈥檚 all-time win total to 440, tying him with former Minnesota Head Coach J Robinson for third all-time in Division I wrestling history.
The Broncs won five of the matches on the day, taking three by bonus points with a trio of major decisions from B.J. Clagon (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South), Chad Walsh (Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic), and Dean Sherry (Brick, NJ/Brick Township) accounting for the difference in the match. The Broncs also received victories from J.R. Wert (Christianburg, VA/Christianburg) and Ryan Wolfe (New Castle, DE/Caravel Academy).
鈥淭hat was a great match,鈥 said Taylor, who will retire at the end of the season. 鈥淲e knew that this was going to be tough, and they did as well. I thought that both sides fought hard, but we were able to get more majors.鈥
The match started off with a close battle at 125, with Wert winning a tight 2-1 decision over Zachary Fuentes to kick the match off 3-0.
The Dragons would then take the next three matches, with nationally ranked wrestlers at both 133 and 149. No. 12 Kevin Devoy would hold off 天美传媒官网 sophomore Anthony Cefolo (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park Regional) 3-2 to tie the match, before David Pearce would defeat freshman Evan Fidelibus (Easton, PA/Easton Area), 4-0. 13th ranked senior Matt Cimato would then defeat Jesse Rodgers (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) by major decision to push the Drexel lead to 10-3.
The Broncs would then find their groove, winning three straight major decisions to take back the lead 15-10. Clagon and Walsh won at 157 and 165 respectively, Clagon by a 14-5 score, and Walsh 12-3.
Sherry would then take advantage of the turning momentum, scoring a last-second six-point move to blow open the 174-pound match and steal the major decision, 11-3.
鈥淚鈥檝e only ever done that once in a match, and it worked out well today,鈥 said Sherry about the move that clinched the bonus points.
Junior 184 Michale Fagg-Daves (Somerset, NJ/Franklin) would then suffer a tight 3-1 loss to Alex DeCiantis, bringing the dual score to 15-13, where senior 197 Wolfe would score the 10-4 decision to reopen the lead.
Junior Mauro Correnti (Delran, NJ/Holy Cross [Lock Haven]) would take the mat knowing that all he had to do was prevent a technical fall or pin to win the match for the Broncs, and he would do just that, losing 4-1 to the 16th ranked heavyweight in the nation, Joseph Goodhart to end the match 18-16.
鈥淎t the beginning of the year, this was a challenge, but they took it on and have done a great job up to this point,鈥 said Taylor in regards to the historic victory.
The Broncs next wrestle on Thursday, Feb. 16, in a crosstown rivalry match against the Princeton Tigers at Alumni Gymnasium.